The weather over the New Year period in Nelson was described as 'the worst recorded summer in decades'..

Old man:'Bloody typical!'

If it wasn't for the time scale of finding an internet cafe with appropriate facilities and fee structures, creating Travelogue entries, setting map pins and uploading, ordering and adding titles to photographs, I'd have loved to do a day-to-day account of the last seventeen wonderful days. Unfortunately, the time scale isn't that flexible and we've done soooo much over their holiday, I thought one entry, with adequate photographs 'should' cover it.

We've all had a fantastic time, and as we're a flexible and easy going bunch, the time was spent well and as it should be - happily. We've shared some great times and I'm so pleased that they have at least had a 'taster' of what an amazing country this is. Seeing the looks on their faces and hearing the constant excitable remarks over and over gave me great pleasure as I knew that they were experiencing and discovering some of the incredible feelings that I had come to experience over the last four months. Only this time, I wasn't doing these feelings a huge injustice by trying to describe them to someone, they were being felt - for real. There is no doubt that these last seventeen days will leave their mark forever - for all of us.

So this entry is for the benefit of Mom and Dad. I'll just leave you guys with a brief summary of some of the things you got up to during your time here, the things you have actually done. Some of them you may have even forgotten about and some you'll never forget!

So in the words of the old man, 'whatever happens, no one will ever be able to take away the fact that you...'

Took a ride on a 'Water Taxi'

Quad Biked up into the mountains through the mud and rain

Travelled from coast to coast on what is described as one of the most scenic rail journeys in the world - the 'Tranzalpine'

It was only a result of things being fully booked, weather conditions or lack of time that prevented some of the other, much intended activities such as swimming with the dolphins, skydiving, jet-boating and loads of other stuff. But you never know, there's always next time!